


Cheeky Nando's

by harlequin87



Category: Rugby Union RPF
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22086532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harlequin87/pseuds/harlequin87
Summary: Craig is excited to talk to his gay refereeing icon, Nigel is excited to finally have a gay ref to advise (he's not jealous of Gareth Thomas, no matter what anyone says), and a good time is had by all.
Relationships: Nigel Owens & Craig Maxwell-Keys
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Cheeky Nando's

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Craig Maxwell-Keys for telling the BBC LGBT Sport podcast that he went to Nando's with Nigel Owens. You'd think this is crack, but no, we are in a fully canon-compliant zone here and I love that for us.

Craig shook his head in disbelief. What had brought him here, to a Nando’s in a small Welsh town, having Nigel Owens buying him lunch? Well, rationally he could think of several answers. A politely-worded email entitled ‘Coming Out’ to Tony, his boss at the RFU. A decision to take up a contract as a professional referee. A broken wrist back at Lichfield. Or, more simply, the pure fact of being gay.

Rationally, that was all true. But the irrepressible monkey part of his brain was running around and screaming and flailing, giving him the sudden urge to text everyone he knew that _he was having lunch with Nigel ‘this is not soccer’, ‘I’m straighter than that one’ Owens._ If only his twenty-two-year-old pharmaceutical-job-having self could see him now.

“I brought you some cutlery,” Nigel said in that famous Welsh accent, with that famous twinkle in his eye. Craig smiled at him, overwhelmed by the company he was keeping. He jolted from his reverie when Nigel pushed the knife and fork towards him across the table. _Act cool,_ he told himself sternly. _It’s only the guy you’ve idolised for over a decade._ Monkey Brain responded with a helpful _!!!!!!!_

“That was a good job you did last weekend,” Nigel was saying cheerfully as Craig zoned back in.  
He pushed down the excited squealing in his head. “Thanks – it’s not quite on your level yet, but it was a solid effort from the refereeing team.”  
Nigel scoffed. “I wouldn’t worry about that, mate. I reffed my first international years ago: it just takes time.”

“When was that?” Craig asked with interest. This would give him a useful case study for his timeline.  
“January 2001,” Nigel said, grinning. “How old were you then?”  
It was Craig’s turn to pull a face. “I was ten.” But then, if Nigel was twenty years older than him, and the Romania-USA game hadn’t been cancelled, then Craig was on target. He smiled.  
“Doing the maths, are we?” Nigel said with a raised eyebrow. Craig couldn’t disagree. “You’re getting on fine, mate. Obviously there’s competition with the other refs, but being in line for international selection in your twenties is a good place to be.”

Nigel leaned forward. “Okay, that’s small talk dealt with – congratulations! You’re gay! And you’re a ref!”  
Craig couldn’t help laughing. “How long have you been wanting to say that for?”  
“Bloody years. Alfie – you know, Gareth Thomas – gets all the gay players, and I’ve been waiting all alone like Cinderella while he’s off at the ball.” He rolled his eyes. “I know there aren’t that many refs in comparison to players, but really? I’ve been out by myself for twelve years.”

Craig smiled. “Tony – Spreadbury, my RFU boss – actually put me in touch with Alfie first. Then he clearly realised there was more than one gay in this particular village and gave me your number.”  
Nigel groaned, looking up despairingly. “I do all this trailblazing, get so many awards – and still people forget I exist! God, it’s a harsh world.”

Their server appeared with the food, and Craig thanked them as Nigel continued to mutter mutinously (albeit at a more acceptable volume). “Isn’t that what you want, though?” he asked curiously, pushing Nigel’s plate towards him. “People realising that, hey, there’s actually no difference in performance between a gay guy and a straight one?”  
The older man sighed. “In the early days – I’m talking late 2000s, you infant – I would have given anything for them to ignore that part of me. But now, I’d rather be recognised for the hard stuff I talk about in case it helps anyone.”

Craig swallowed his mouthful of food around a sudden lump in his throat. “It did,” he said quietly. “Like, when I was a kid, seeing you go out and be this incredible referee who people loved and who just happened to be gay – it meant so much to me. And in the last few years, knowing everyone in my immediate environment had to be fine with it because of you just made everything a hundred times easier.”

Nigel seemed choked up too. “Thank you, Craig,” he said, covering the younger man’s hand with his own. “I mean, I can’t take all the credit for what happened in those twelve years, but I’m glad I could help.” Not knowing how to respond, Craig shoved some more chicken into his mouth. Nigel followed his lead, and they were silent for a few minutes.

“You are happy, though?” Nigel asked suddenly. “You wouldn’t regret doing any of this?”  
Craig shook his head. “I’m really happy at the moment,” he said, surprising himself with his honesty. “Pretty much everything is going right, and I know when that stops I’ll have my family and my friends and my partner – _boyfriend_ ,” he corrected himself with a grin, “to support me. So yeah, I’m happy.”  
“That’s good to hear,” Nigel said warmly. “Having the right people around you is important, especially when you can be honest with them.” Craig nodded obediently. “And the second you think something might be wrong, like, with your mental health, tell them, for God’s sake. You know just how bad things got for me, so don’t let that happen to you.”

Craig had a sudden urge to hug the older man. Rational Brain protested, but for once Monkey Brain won out. He stood up, walked around the table, and hugged Nigel tightly. “Not to be sappy, but knowing you’ve gone through all this already makes it easier. Thanks a lot.”  
Nigel hugged back for a second, before pulling away and saying gruffly, “You’re welcome, mate. And – I know toxic masculinity is a thing, but this is my hometown and I have an image to maintain. Less of the public hugging, please.”  
Craig frowned. “Oi. We were having a moment.”  
“Hmm,” Nigel said, returning to his meal. “It was a lovely moment, with an emphasis on the singular.”

They went back to shop talk after that, discussing the most recent round of matches and generally taking the piss out of the French refs. Craig relaxed, feeling like he was at home here. Maybe he could have had the same conversation with the other English referees, but there wouldn’t have been that unseen additional layer of understanding that said _I see you. You’re safe here._

Finally, Craig’s phone alarm pinged. “That’s my reminder to set off now. The boyfriend’s parents are visiting, so I don’t want to be late for dinner.”  
Nigel nodded. “That’s fair. I’ll get the bill – meet you outside?” Craig murmured his agreement and shrugged his coat on. He felt momentarily guilty about letting Nigel pay, but then realised that Alfie had probably had to foot the bill for many more gay advice meals and left him to it.

“It was good to see you, Nige,” Craig said, extending a hand. “And thanks for everything.”  
Nigel huffed and yanked him into a hug. “It’s alright, kid. If you need anything, just call.”  
Craig desperately wanted to blurt out _I’ve looked up to you since I was seventeen_ and _you’re the only thing that stopped me from getting that low too_ and _can I have your autograph?_ Fortunately, he controlled himself and smiled calmly. “I’ll see you around, I guess? Six Nations 2021 – if you’re still reffing then!”  
Nigel cuffed him around the ear. “I’d say Six Nations 2020, but… Anyway. See you later, Craig.” He turned away, walking back to his car.

Craig got his phone out as he stood there, unlocking it to silence the snoozed alarm. He found his to-do list and ticked off the most important item of the day: Nando’s with Nigel. (Naturally he’d livened it up with the gay flag emoji – he was a millennial, after all.)

He grinned to himself. What a day.

**Author's Note:**

> I find Craig incredibly relatable, if that wasn't already obvious. Hope you enjoyed reading this!
> 
> (You can listen to his podcast episode [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07x088b).)


End file.
